Published: 05.08.2021.
Updated: 09.07.2025.

Regulatory enactments:

Law on the Termination of the Granting of the Status of a Non-citizen to Children.

A child can acquire Latvian citizenship if at the time of his or her birth both parents are non-citizens, or one of the parents is a non-citizen and the other - a stateless person, or by mutual agreement of the parents if one parent is a non-citizen but the other - a citizen of another country.

A child is recognized as a citizen of Latvia, unless he or she is and has not been a citizen of another country.

If a child was born in Latvia and at the time of birth of the child:

  • both his or her parents are non-citizens or one of the parents is a non-citizen, but the other - a stateless person or unknown, the child will acquire the citizenship of Latvia at the same time with registration of the fact of birth of the child by the Civil Registry Office;
  • one of the parents is a non-citizen, the other - a citizen of another country, documents for acquisition of the citizenship of Latvia shall be submitted to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

If a child was born abroad, documents for acquisition of the citizenship of Latvia shall be submitted to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

  1. A submission
  2. personal identification document of the parents of the child (passport, identity card). When sending the documents via mail ONLY a COPY of the personal identification document should be sent;
  3. certificate of birth of the child or excerpt from the Birth Register;
  4. a document confirming that the which is not and has not been a citizen of the relevant country.

When determining the country, from which the document is to be submitted regarding the fact that the child is not and has not been a citizen of the relevant country, the following should be taken into account:

  1. legal relations of the child with the relevant country;
  2. nationality of the parents of the child;
  3. the country, the citizen of which the child could be.

If a child was born abroad of Latvia, the document issued by a foreign institution shall be translated into Latvian (except, if the document is in English, German, French or Russian and it is submitted to the diplomatic or consular representative office of Latvia or sent from abroad) and legalized in accordance with the procedure determined by regulatory enactments.

Legalization shall not be required for a document, issued by European Union countries, public documents issued by the countries of the European Economic Area, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (except its overseas territories) or Swiss Confederation, provided for use in Latvia. 
Information about legalization of documents is available:  https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/legalisation-documents

If it is necessary to verify the validity of the original document or the correctness of the derivative document, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs may at any time require the presentation of the original document.

Currently it is possible to submit documents to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs only remotely:

  1. by sending via mail to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs to the address: Čiekurkalna 1.līnija 1 k-3, Riga, LV-1026. When sending documents by mail, copies of documents must be certified, with the exception of a copy of an identity document. If the originals of documents are sent by mail, they will be returned to the specified address along with the decision.
  2. with a safe electronic signature, sending to the e-mail pskn@pmlp.gov.lv, with the attachment of certified copies of the original documents signed with a secure electronic signature, with the exception of a copy of the identity document;
  3. by using official electronic e-address with the attachment of certified copies of the original documents signed with a secure electronic signature.

If documents are sent electronically and signed with a secure electronic signature, the document must be accompanied by a confirmation that the "copy is correct" indicating who confirms it, and a copy of the document must be signed with a secure electronic signature.

The decision shall be made within a time period of one month from the day of receipt of all necessary documents by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.

In case of any questions and uncertainties, you may obtain information by writing to the e-mail: pskn@pmlp.gov.lv or calling during working days to the phone +371 67209400.